16 dissidents disqualified
Some 48 hours before the high court pronounces judgment on the 16 dissidents who brought the B.S. Yeddyurappa government to the brink, the state government issued a gazette notification based on the Speaker’s decision to disqualify them. The government is seeking to seal the fate of the rebels and ensure that the 11 BJP and
six Independent MLAs are no longer members of the Legislative Assembly. But with the high court due to hear a petition challenging Speaker K.G. Bopaiah’s decision on Monday, any judgment that favours the dissidents will quash the gazette notification, judicial experts said.
Said former advocate-general B.V. Acharya: “Normally any government order is notified in the gazette, according to procedures laid down. If the court rules in favour of disqualified MLAs, the notification would be automatically quashed terming it unconstitutional.” The gazette notification came as rebel JDS MLA M.C. Ashwath resigned as a member of the Assembly on Friday to head off any moves by his party to disqualify him.
Mr Ashwath, in the news after he stayed away from two crucial trust votes that took place on Monday and Thursday, was absent in spite of the party issuing a whip. The BJP also acted against MLA Munappa Vajjal from Lingasur, asking him to explain his absence during the trust vote.
The Speaker’s office has already informed the Election Commission of India about Mr Bopaiah’s decision.
Copies of the two separate gazette notifications, one pertaining to 11 BJP MLAs and the five Independent MLAs, issued on October 11 said, “With the Speaker disqualifying these 16 MLAs, the constituencies represented by these MLAs, stand vacant.”
Officials in the Assembly Secretariat said that it is the usual practice of the Assembly secretariat to inform the Election Commission when members are disqualified, have resigned or passed away. “We are not supposed to delay this,” sources said.
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Krishna distressed
AGE CORRESPONDENT
New Delhi
Oct. 15: External affairs minister and former Karnataka chief minister S.M. Krishna has said that he was “distressed” to see the unruly scenes in the Assembly of his home state during the first trust vote, which was held earlier this week.
Speaking to journalists here Friday, Mr Krishna said the unprecedented pandemonium was a “blot” on the fair name of Karnataka.
“Karnataka is the new face of India. Bengaluru has become the focal point. The world looks at India through Bengaluru,” he said.
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